Do Robot Girls Dream of Nerdy Boys?
by Wizard of Wack
Summary: The Sequel to Ties of Blood, Ties of Oil. Jenny has received an unprecedented, wonderful gift for her sixth birthday. But with the onset of nightmarish dreams shortly after, Jenny may be forced into a distasteful decision.
1. Sensations

Do Robot Girls Dream of Nerdy Boys?

A "My Life as a Teenage Robot" Fanfic

Chapter one:

**Sensations**

_We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations._

_-Anais Nin_

* * *

The Moon hung like a dead man above town of Tremorton. It dangled there, waxy and pale, as dark and foreboding clouds swirled around it. Frequently, they obscured the moon from sight. An unseasonable rain sliced through tumultuous winds on its flight toward the ground. The Streets of Tremorton were slick with water and mud, each of which tossed up tiny bits of themselves like some sort of ecclesial dancers as the rain collided with the earth. Somewhere, lightning flashed, illuminating the street in a flash of light brilliant enough to pierce even the deepest shadows. Thunder pealed overhead in a deep and rumbling roar.

An automobile traveled down the slick and ominous streets of Tremorton, its wheels splashing through puddle after puddle, kicking up filthy brown water as it did. Bits of mud were caked around its old 2015 styled bumper and marred its dull maroon paintjob; rainwater ran freely across the car and mingled with the mud, causing unsightly brown streaks to run across it. The windshield wipers worked furiously at keeping the heavy rain from the glass, succeeding only enough to keep the glass clear for only fractions of a second before it was obscured again. Through the hail of water, two dark figures could be seen through the glass.

The car turned down a lonely side road, hardly paying attention to any of the posted signs. It struggled through the heavy rain up the gradual incline of the street slowly, careful not to lose traction. The car crept ever farther up the road in a low whine, until finally, it settled into a small parking lot, next to a squat and ugly building. The building was dark, its windows shuddered. Even the light from the streetlamps could barely shed any light upon it. The Car eased into one of the parking spots around the building, idled a bit and then shut off. Its lights sputtered, and died. The doors opened in a billow of grey smoke, and two shadowy figures emerged. Both Figures were shrouded by long coats and hats, each obscuring their features. One idly flicked a cigarette of into the darkness where it extinguished. The other thrust his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. He looked about nervously.

The one who had held the cigarette slapped the other on the arm and gestured toward the squat building "We going to do this or what kid?" He said in a gruff and masculine voice which sounded like sandpaper being dragged over steel.

The other shrugged "I don't know" This voice was much more youthful, with a bit of a nasally twang in the back of his throat. "It doesn't seem right" The figure fidgeted a tiny bit, balancing on his heels.

The Other figure spit, an action almost unnoticed in the downpour "You weren't saying that an hour ago"

"I Know, I know… Still…" He shuffled uncomfortably "Doesn't this strike you as morally and ethically indefensible?"

"Yeah" There was a chuckle in the other figures voice "And doesn't it make you feel alive?" He let the question hang in the air for a few seconds, then began to walk forward "Come on, lets get moving. It's not like the day's getting any younger" The Younger of the two figures looked about nervously, and began to follow.

The Elder of the two came to the door of the building and jiggle the handle experimentally. It didn't budge. Unperturbed her reached into his pocket and pulled out a slender piece of metal. He slid the object into the lock and waited. A few seconds later, he twisted, and the door opened with a loud squeak, seemingly by magic.

The two shadowy figures entered the building quietly. The Younger carefully turned back and closed the door behind them. Outside, the only evidence of their presence was their old and dirty car, and the lonely cigarette butt. Lightning flashed outside once again, illuminating the squat and dirty building for half a second. In the brilliant flash, a sign could me made out: **Tremorton Mortuary. **

The two figures had been inside the building for and entire hour, and the storm around them grew worse. Then, an hour and two minutes later, the back door burst open and the two figures emerged, carrying a long and wrinkly black bag between them. As the rain slashed down at them, a staccato could me made out as it struck the tarp of the bag. One of the figures reached out his leg as they went by and closed the Mortuaries door, which locked itself again with a click. The Younger of the two mumbled "This is so wrong"

The other gave a bit of a laugh "Chin up kid. It's not like anyone will miss her, she was dead already. No place for her but the incinerator. Now that's the crime if you ask me, burning a perfectly good body just because they don't know if she was an organ donor. I mean really, if they had put up a body like this for scientific experimentation I wouldn't have had to go through the trouble of stealing it would I?" He grunted "I still don't know why you wouldn't let me get that other one, she was a much better fit than this one."

"Are you mad?" The Younger hissed "That one was scheduled for a funeral. Would you really want to steal someone people were still mourning over? I mean this one is just another Jane Doe, but that one had an actual family."

"Why would I care? I hate people. I thought you had known this by now. Really, are you just slow on the uptake? Is that it?"

The Younger put a hand to his forehead "I am disgusted" He sighed "Just open the door so I can stop holding this cadaver."

"What? Can't stand to lift a little weight? I thought you were a mechanic" The Elder scoffed as he opened the car door and slid the body bag inside. He dusted of his hands and thrust them into his pockets. He pulled out a cigarette, and despite the storm, lit it. Its cherry red light played over his wrinkly old face, revealing the smirking face of James McKinley, middle aged science teacher.

The Glow of the cigarette also reached the scowling face of Sheldon Lee, McKinley's reluctant accomplice. He nodded at the Cigarette "I hope you get cancer" he said and opened the passenger door to the car and sat down.

McKinley guffawed "You and me both kid. You and me both" He slid into the drivers seat, turned the ignition, and trundled off down into the darkness. As they disappeared into the gloom, the storm increased in fury.

Eventually, both came to the dirty apartment that was McKinley's. Both of them were arguing intently over where they should place the body. McKinley felt that the table would be the best bet, even if it was too small, and Sheldon felt that McKinley's countertop, as filthy as it was, would be a much better place to lay it. Both felt very strongly on the matter. Harsh words were exchanged.

Truthfully, neither minded where it was set, but Sheldon was still perturbed by the theft and McKinley just liked to be argumentative. Sheldon wasn't that upset even, but the talking, no matter how inane it was, took his mind off of it.

They settled on a compromise and sat the body bag upright in a chair. Sheldon sat down heavily on a nearby couch, while McKinley disappeared into another room, searching for paper and compasses and chemicals. Sheldon was normally not one to do the illegal. He had certainly done it before, but he always regretted the experiences. And this was by far the worst thing he had ever done. It was not actually that bad when he thought about it. It was only for scientific purposes, and the only reason they couldn't get one legally was because of time constraints. Very important and binding time constraints really. No one was going to miss the body either. It was a nobody, just some teenaged girl who had ended up on the wrong side of an electrical wire, a confused young girl far away from home without an ID. McKinley had hypothesized that she was a runaway, or maybe just lost.

Whatever it was, it didn't matter now. She was dead and was going to be incinerated without a funeral or memorial service, just a little footnote in the towns census. Or at least she would have been. Now she was going to be part of something greater, or perhaps something more obscene. Sheldon had yet to sort his feelings out on this matter.

A Knock on the front door reverberated through the Apartment, startling Sheldon. McKinley from the other room shouted "Hey, get that will you? Oh, and cover the body"

Sheldon quickly obeyed, throwing a sheet over the body bag, just in case. He hurried over to the door and peered through the peep hole. Through the distorted view of the glass, he could make out a bent female form, complete with white hair and a yellow dress. Sheldon opened the door. "Mrs. Wakeman! Glad you could make it."

From the adjacent room, McKinley could be heard mock screaming "Oh crap, her? Close the door, Close the door!" Nora huffed and walked into the dirty apartment, taken slightly aback by the dirt

She turned to Sheldon "Nice to see you Sheldon, It's good to know you'll be here and I won't have to be alone with this idiot. I doubt I could survive here without you"

From the other room , McKinley could be heard dimly saying "That's what your Mom said last night!" Both Sheldon and Nora hollered back "Shut up!" and continued talking.

"Are we going to begin soon?" Nora asked, glancing about "And where is the model?"

Sheldon striped the sheet off of the body bag "It's right here. And we should be getting started as soon as McKinley gets back. He's gathering supplies"

Nora stepped up to the Body bag "Well let me take a look at it" she said and unzipped the bag. Sheldon covered his mouth as the reek of formaldehyde rolled off of the body. Mrs. Wakeman seemed unaffected.

Sheldon could feel his ears begin to heat as Mrs. Wakeman inspected the body. This came primarily from the fact that is was naked. He'd seen a naked woman before (Though not in person), and he's even seen this particular one when he and McKinley put her in the bag. But now that there was a live woman in the room he felt terribly sensitive to the fact that this body was naked. At the same time he was disgusted, repulsed by the odor and the blank expression on the body as Mrs. Wakeman inspected the cadaver. He turned away.

"And the party wagon has arrived!" McKinley said as he came into the room, His arms bundled with paper, pencils, and other important note taking apparatus. He set them down heavily on the table and turned to the others. "So," He began "Are we ready?"

Nora stood up "Everything seems to be in order" She turned back to McKinley. "Now where did you get this body James? I've been searching for months and still wasn't able to find a suitable cadaver"

McKinley shrugged "Internet" He said, without even a twitch.

Nora nodded, not willing to probe the question any further. "What is the damage on her?"

"Electrical shock. Stopped her heart nice and quick. There shouldn't be too much tissue or nerve damage." McKinley said as he grabbed a tarp from the table and spread it out over the floor.

"Let's hope not, I would hate to have to go searching for another" She stood up. "I've seen enough, let's begin. Sheldon, Get her down on the tarp will you?"

Sheldon took a deep breath and did what she said, blanching at the cadaver's icy skin. He set her down, and McKinley pressed the box he was holding. Sheldon opened it to reveal an assortment of scalpels and probes. He gulped.

"Don't worry kid, I'll guide you through it' McKinley said, and reassuringly as possible. In truth, McKinley would rather have done it himself, but since his operation he had no sense of touch in his right arm, and during a dissection that could spell disaster. And Wakeman was really just old and shaky. Sheldon knew he was the best one for the job, but was loathe to do it. _The things I do for love _He thought as he selected a scalpel.

As he prepared to begin, he was aware of Mrs. Wakeman behind him, ready to take detailed notes. "Now I want you to begin with an "I" cut over the breast about a centimeter deep and four inches long, OK?" McKinley was saying next to him, watching eagerly.

Sheldon took a deep breath and made the first cut.

* * *

The next day, as the sun rose over the grey sky, Sheldon lay exhausted in a reclining chair. His hands were stained red, and there were bags under his eyes. Mrs. Wakeman sat across from him at the couch, snoring quietly. He yawned. The night had been the most exhausting thing he had ever done. But from what he had heard, it could be one of the most rewarding things he had ever done, except of course for that 200 page Wikipedia entry on Star trek the Next Generation (A classic). But this put even that in doubt.

"Who wants Coffee!" An Irritatingly cheery voice pealed through the apartment as McKinley barged in, a huge smile on his face and a pot of coffee in his hands. Nora snorted and groggily woke up, while Sheldon stared incredulously at him. Dimly, Sheldon recalled that McKinley only needed to sleep once a week. Apparently, this wasn't his sleep day.

As Mrs. Wakeman mumbled and went back to sleep, Sheldon raised his hand "Sure" He grunted, grabbing a proffered mug. The Coffee itself tasted horrible, but it was invigorating. Sheldon gulped it down. "Is everything fine with the measurements?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, they should do nicely. I just need to crunch a few numbers, write a few programs, you know the normal stuff." He took a swig of his own coffee "Hmm, I wish I could still taste. Anyway, this should be a snap as long as Nora gets the parts ready. And she already promised, didn't you" Mrs. Wakeman grumbled a bit in response, and turned over in her sleep. "That means 'yes' in old woman, If you didn't know" McKinley said to Sheldon , Taking another swig from his cup.

"Ah, Sensitive" Sheldon said, struggling to remain awake. "So, you think Jenny will like this?

McKinley raised his eyebrow "Like it? She's going to love this" He chuckled "These aren't some cheesy little prosthetic ears were talking about" Sheldon sunk back down into the recliner. He didn't remember telling McKinley that story. "Anyway, this is going to be fantastic. She will literally love whoever gives this too her"

"And naturally you plan on taking all of the credit"

"Of course. You better butt in when I present this or I might even forget you exist"

Sheldon slurped down more of the bitter drink "Heartwarming" He said. "Still, the last time Wakeman tried something like this it didn't really work" He made a dismissive gesture with his left hand "A disaster, some might call it."

"Yes, Exo-skin one and two, I heard about those failures"

"Don't forget the one with Himculese, it was worth mentioning"

"I do like the word play on that guys name, I really do." McKinley mused "Anyway, those were because Wakeman didn't have such a talented programmer working for her" He puffed his chest out

"I don't know man, she could have called me"

McKinley scowled at Sheldon "ha ha ha, devaluating an old man, is that how you get your kicks?"

"Only this early in the morning really" Sheldon yawned "What time is it anyway?"

"About 6:30" McKinley replied

"Hmm… That means I've stayed up 24 hours now"

"Grats', I suppose" Mckinley said. He sat down on the couch next to Nora, who was so small she barely covered half of the couch. He looked down at Nora, then looked back at Sheldon "I remember when she did that thirty years ago…" he said, the nostalgia think in his voice.

"Did what?" Sheldon said, curious

McKinley made a circular gesture with his hand. "You know, fall asleep on the couch like that. I remember back in the lab she would always work so hard. I remember that time when I left one day to go home, and the next day I came back there she was, passed out on the couch. She didn't even go up to sleep with her husband." He sighed "And the fights we would have, me and her husband. They were nearly as good as the ones I had with Nora." McKinley put down his Mug. "He was a good man, and she's a good woman…" He brandished his finger back a Sheldon "If you ever tell her I said that, I swear to god I will break your neck. I just said she was a good woman, that doesn't mean I still don't hate her"

Sheldon rolled his eyes "Right…" He looked thoughtful "Still, I never really remember Mrs. Wakeman telling me anything about her husband. I even asked her once"

McKinley looked back at Nora's sleeping figure "I know, she never told me what happened to him either" A long moment passed, and McKinley stood up "Anyway, lets get you home Think-sack"

Sheldon's brow furrowed "Now? I was hoping to work on the parts today"

"Like hell you are" McKinley said "I am not letting some little stalker geek work on the delicate parts of this project. If Jenny found out she'd give me a razor wire enema"

Sheldon winced "Thanks for that disturbing mental imagery, McKinley, I appreciate it." He stood up "You really just want all the credit don't you"

McKinley gave an exaggerated sigh "I wish it was that, I really do. But for some reason I just can't do it, really. I mean I don't think I'll be even able to tell her what I installed really. Call it fatherly protection "

"Or cowardice" Sheldon suggested

"That could work too" McKinley conceded "But I really think it's the idea that some boy might see future parts of her that I don't even want her to know about until she's eighteen"

Sheldon's eyebrows rose, and his face began to heat. He had known this was going to be a substantial upgrade, but what McKinley just implied was unprecedented "That's… Uh… That's a little… This project's more extensive that I first… I thought we were just adding nerves. Are you…?"

"Talking stops now" McKinley said, His left eye twitching violently. Sheldon tried to speak, but McKinley violently shushed him "I am giving her some nerves and add a bit to her a sensory perception, you know, so she can smell and such." He moved his hands in small circles, trying to get his bearings "Yes, I do admit that I am going to add a few specialty organs that she doesn't have right now, like a tongue, And… other things… For very scientific reasons" He said, as I trying to justify some sort of horrible crime. Sheldon could see an embarrassed blush creep into McKinley's face. It was an Ugly Blue/black color."

"Really" Sheldon said, crossing his arms "A scientific reason?"

"Yes, really" McKinley wrung his hands nervously and swore under his breath "Damnit, it's hard to explain this. I didn't think … When I originally had the idea I didn't think I'd have to do it on my own daughter. Well, I did, but I didn't think of her as my daughter then, you understand?"

Sheldon sat back down again "Start over, from the beginning" This was weird, he thought. He wasn't used to playing the adult of the conversation.

McKinley sat down as well. He sat still for a few pregnant seconds before speaking. "Well the reason for this goes back to when I originally made her brain. You need to remember that I didn't really expect this to work at first, I was just fiddling around really. But as time went on, and I got behind the line of no return, I realized a few things.

"Firstly, this was actually going to work. Or at least work better than I had expected it to. I mean I really was surprised, elated even. Secondly though, I noticed that the brain I was making needed all kinds of sensory input, not just the ones that we were giving the robot. Just like a real brain really. Sensory deprivation is a nasty thing.

'At first I just thought of it as an oddity. I mean how bad could it get? But, one night I decided to run some projections. What I found was… Troubling…

"Now you know Jenny experiences the full range of human emotion right? Fear, anger, Joy, envy… lust. She has all of it. The problem is, she can't actually, er, _act _on some of those, um, _feelings. _Ifound out that those blocks, ninety percent of the time at least, ended up in a long term case of depression, often leading to potential suicide. Especially during the teenage years where those emotions are at their, ah, height.

"Back then I thought it was a wonderful problem, and I drafted a few plans to give my android a few extra senses, like taste and smell, and, uh, touch. Of course I was abducted around that point in time and never got to finish the plans, and when I came back… Well let's just say I'm glad that she hasn't lost it yet. So I got talking with Nora and she agreed it was the best course of action to give her some of these upgrades. Even if she did find some of these distasteful"

Sheldon stared at McKinley for a few, long seconds. "Wow" he said, dumbstruck. It was like all of his hormonal fantasies had come true. He tried not to let it show "that's a pretty good reason for not wanting me to work on the project"

"I thought it was" McKinley stood up again "So, ready to go home?"

Sheldon got up to follow him "Yeah, I guess I am" As they both began to walk out the door, Sheldon queried another question "So when do you think this thing will actually be ready?"

McKinley turned back around "Ready? Well I thought you of all people would have guessed. It should be done in time for Jenny's Birthday"

As they walked out into the grey morning, Sheldon couldn't help but grin.

* * *

**Wakeman OS, XJ9 Audio log, 7:30 PM. July 18****th****, 2072**

---------------Input password-----------------------------

---------------Verifying----------------------------------

**Password accepted, Welcome Nora. What action do you request?**

Play file 40020701, 5:25 PM July 17th

Playing…

"So, how's my girl doing? You Nervous?"

"Yeah, a little bit Dad. But I'm really exited also. Its sort of weird being trapped between those emotions"

"Ha! Tell me about it. I remember when I was a kid I had to perform in a school play once. Same thing really. You ever work in a play?"

"Yes actually. I wasn't that nervous about it though"

"Really? Most people blanch at the idea of acting in front of others."

"Well, technically I had already run over a thousand simulations before I went out. There wasn't much room for error."

"Ah, that would explain it. Lie down on the bench would you please? That's a good girl."

" 'Good girl'? What am I, two?"

"Fiv- Six actually. Almost forgot you were a year older today"

"Forgot? The party just ended two hours ago."

"I have a very short memory. Put this helmet on will you?"

"What's it for?"

"Mostly to make sure you don't twitch too much while I'm operating."

"Nice, I suppose. Hey, I have a better question, what exactly is this upgrade for anyway? And why is this a 'surprise' for that matter?"

"Oh, you know, reasons"

"Right, does that mean you're going to tell me what were doing?"

"Not a chance Jen"

"Whatever. Where's Mom?"

"She'll be out in a second. She's just getting all of the equipment together. This isn't just some simple little operation you see. We're going to be making history. Don't worry; I won't bring out the camera"

"Thanks"

"Though I'm not to sure about your Mother"

"What?"

"Oh look at the time! Nighty night"

"Hey wait a minute what do you mean by my Mo----"

--------------------------------------------File End----------------------------------------------------

* * *

The words "**Wakeman OS Online" **Filled the fluttering vision of Jenny Wakeman, followed by the cheery green Text of "**Good Morning Xj9."**

Jenny struggled back into the land of the living, fiercely blinking her eyes as she did. She was lying on her back, on what felt to be some sort of table. She felt sluggish and slow, and oddly enough, heavy. She blinked again and her vision swam around her. She closed her eyes and let out a deep focusing breath. Resolve filled her and she determinedly opened her eyes and sat up.

She instantly regretted that move. Her vision swam once more, swirling around her like a cyclone. She lost her balance and fell back onto the table, this time on her side. She lay still for a few moments, willing her vision to calm. She made a tiny annoyed noise, and with a belabored thought she began to run a system diagnostic. Seconds passed as her body began to hum with exertion while her internal scanners dissected every system and subroutine, searching for problems. The Search came up negative. Nothing was wrong with her body. The only thing that was out of place was some weird new upgrades.

Jenny chuckled and rolled her eyes at herself. Of course, that was why she felt so weird. Those new upgrades her parents had installed must be the problems. The drivers were probably still installing, all she had to do was wait. So she did. She lay on that table quietly, not looking at anything or even looking. She was completely motionless as she waited for her body to once more return to full operational abilities.

Soon, her vision stopped swimming and her fine motor control returned. Jenny sat up, cautiously this time, as not to send her reeling again. She felt fine as she sat up, revitalized even. Jenny frowned. Something was different; she just couldn't put her finger on it. She put her head in her cold hands as she tried to think. She froze.

Cold hands. As in temperature. As in touch. As in feeling.

Too astonished for words, Jenny withdrew her trembling hands. She looked in dumbstruck amazement at what she saw. Her hands were still the same as ever, still china white, and they still had those mechanical creases. But now there was a soft sort of silicone covering over her hands and arms. Barely even half a centimeter thick, it flowed into and out of her mechanical creases, permeating her. It looked soft, like real flesh. Jenny opened and closed her hands in wonder. She rotated them, and looked at them from every angle. Cautiously, she touched her own arm. It felt soft.

Jenny was ecstatic. It felt soft, _it felt soft!_ Emotions cascaded through her circuits. She felt human. Not emotionally or mentally, she felt like she was physically human. And that was a wonderful feeling.

She drew her arms close and hugged them close to her body. With a sigh, she reveled in the sensation; it was like a breath of fresh air through old circuits. She let her arms travel all over her body, feeling, probing, exploring. Jenny felt alive, and better than she had ever felt before. The familiar feeling of a tickle passed through her body as a finger slid over her lower spine. She gasped in shock at the sensation and wiggled away from it, giggling as she did.

Sighing contently, she lay down on the table. She put her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling, reveling in being alive. She just lay down and _felt. _Not like a person feels, by feeling other things. She just stopped and listened to her own body, letting it tell her what it felt. Letting it tell her what it knew. She closed her eyes. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel. The only two sensations she had ever had were pain and tickling, how was she supposed to know what she was supposed to feel like? She let her mind wander.

She had new parts, Jenny noted. Additions really, new hardware and the like could be found all throughout her body. The most obvious she thought was a tongue and a pair of delicate lips. Her interest piqued, she also noted that some of the things on her were not actually parts of her body. They had no feeling, they were alien, foreign. She was wearing clothes, Jenny realized with amusement. Her armor had been a part of her body before, just like and arm or a leg. But now her boots, her skirt, and her top were all separate objects. They were coverings.

Her feet were in some sort of boots she noticed. She also noticed that she had several new digits at the end of each foot. Jenny tilted her head a bit to the side; she had toes now, strange. Jenny looked at her feet. They looked like they always had, encased inside the blue steel of her uncompromising boot. Inside, her feet squirmed. Seized by a sudden curiosity, Jenny moved her hands to the boot, each searching for a way to undo it.

Her hands felt the contours of the titanium boot, searching. She was surprised at how thick the boot was an entire three quarters of an inch thicker. Even in a preliminary guess, Jenny estimated it gave another 69750 psi worth of resistance. An impressive amount to say the least. Finally, near the top, she came across a button of some kind. With trepidation she pressed it, reflexively wincing as she did. A sharp hiss and a puff of pressurized gas squirted out of the contours of the boot, sending a pleasurable sensation along Jenny's lower legs. The Boot split into two equal halves and fell to the ground, revealing a china white leg and a perfectly formed foot. Jenny looked in awe at her own appendage, flexing and wiggling her toes. It was all a marvel. Joyously, she quickly released her other foot and pushed the remains of her boots into a corner of the table.

She inspected each foot meticulously. She had never really had toes before. The entire idea ,her mother had said, was a completely frivolous expense, she could work just as fine without toes, and much cheaper. She tilted her head as she stretched out her toes and thought. Why did she have this upgrade? Exactly why did her parents give her this? It was what she, Jenny, wanted, but it was inefficient, unwieldy. From what Jenny knew about her mother it was against everything she had been designed for.

She sat on the cold operating table, pondering. She shifted her weight slightly, and as she did she bumped her boots, which lay discarded to the side. She gave the blue pieces of footwear a long look. Jenny looked to the side as an idea blossomed in her head. She had new appendages, as evidenced by her toes. Perhaps it wasn't to far fetched that she had other new features, other new body parts. She knew that her skirt and top were no longer a part of her, merely armored coverings. What could she expect to find under them? Her hands twitched and she began to blush self consciously. The blush was a deep and embarrassed blue hue. Eventually, curiosity took hold, and her hands began to travel over to her skirt. Tentatively, she fingered the clasp.

The Sound of the lab door opening shot through the laboratory, followed by several sets of footsteps and a jumble of animated voices. Jenny quickly pulled her hands back to her sides and acted as casual as possible, both panicked and relieved at how close she had come to being seen. She looked over to the door, curious.

Jenny saw her father and mother stride into the room, the former with an arrogant swagger and the latter with confidence. Behind them were Sheldon, Brad, and Tuck. Brad pushed his way to the front of the procession, gaining a quick curse from McKinley "Wow Jenny!" He said enthusiastically "You look great!" He leaned in closer toward her, inspecting her new skin "Oh man, this is so cool"

"Hey! Don't crowd her boy" McKinley growled from behind Brad as he pushed Brad aside. He rolled his eyes "I leave the room for five minutes and you choose those minutes to wake up. Could you be any more contrary Jenny?" He raised a disdainful eyebrow "Really now. I didn't even get to see you wake up"

Mrs. Wakeman made a derisive noise, "Well I don't think Xj9 is the one responsible for your faulty sleep program James. With any talent you should have been able to program when she woke up" Nora looked to the side knowingly.

McKinley's left eye twitched "One of these days Nora, one of these days…"

Nora raised an eyebrow "Straight to the moon?"

McKinley looked perplexed "What? No. What the hell does that mean?"

Nora looked annoyed "Nothing, it was before your time" She looked over at Jenny, smiling and tilting her head slightly "So… How are you feeling?"

"I feel… I feel fantastic" Jenny murmured. "I feel the cold table, I feel my skin…" She looked up, smiling "And I feel alive"

Nora Smiled and McKinley smirked smugly. Behind them, Tuck looked disinterested and Brad scratched the back of his head, uncomfortable with the warm and sensitive conversation. Sheldon was beaming, the smile on his face stretching from ear to ear.

"Good to know, good to know" McKinley said with amusement. He pulled out a tiny notepad and began to scribble on it. "Now you understand that there will be some maintenance issues. Repair not covered by your internal systems. Cleaning and bathing procedures, you know the drill."

"Bathing?" Jenny said, surprised. The exclamation was echoed from the back of the room by Sheldon. His eyes were wide and his mouth draw in into an astonished line. Jenny scowled as she saw the gears of Sheldon's imagination began to churn.

McKinley Turned back to Sheldon, his brow furrowed and his left eye squinting fiercely "Yes, Bathing. Is that of interest to you technophile?" Sheldon seemed to shrink into his hoody as he looked away, flushing into a beet red blush. Beside him, Brad began to chuckle. Tuck just looked confused, wondering exactly what a technophile was.

McKinley turned back to Jenny. He looked only slightly less perturbed now that he had silenced Sheldon. In fact, he didn't look any less perturbed at all "Of course I'm not going to be the one to explain all of these new maintenance procedures, it just wouldn't be proper. So I will hand everything off to my lovely assistant Nora"

Mrs. Wakeman raised an eyebrow "Assistant? I made the device you know. What were you doing that make you the mastermind James?"

McKinley looked dismissive "Moral support mostly"

Nora rolled her eyes "Of course" She cleared her throat "Anyway Jenny, come along with me upstairs Away from prying eyes" She glared at Sheldon, who seemed to disappear into his shirt.

"Aww Mom." Jenny whined "Do I have to go now?"

McKinley folded his arms "Jenny, you should do what you mother says. There is a reason for all of this"

"Like what?"

"Well…" McKinley said, allowing a long and pregnant pause to follow the word. Then, calmly and purposefully, he reached out with his right hand and gave Jenny a light shove. Surprised, Jenny lost her balance and fell off the lab table with a resounding crash. The Room felt was spinning from Jenny's point of view as she lay on the floor in an undignified heap. McKinley stepped over to look down on her. He had a deadpan expression "The upgrade hasn't been calibrated and your internal gyroscope needs to be brought back to operational ability" McKinley grinned "You know, the thing that lets you keep your balance?"

Jenny glared at McKinley "And why can't we do that here?"

McKinley gave a knowing smile "Well, to get to do the calibration we have to remove the outer layer of your armor…"

With those spoken words, Jenny blushed a light blue. "I'll be going to my room now…" She said quietly, mortified. She tried to stand and began to loose her balance. Nora caught her arm and helped Jenny to her feet.

As Mrs. Wakeman and Jenny left the room, McKinley whirled on Sheldon, Brad and Tuck "Well?" McKinley said "What are you people still doing here?"

Tuck raised a finger in answer "Well, I thought we were going to check out Jenny's freaky new upgrade…"

"Get out of the house you little vultures!" McKinley barked, and the three young men ran off into the night.

* * *

Hi Everybody! I'm back. With a vengeance!

So, as you can see I've started a new story. And you have undoubtedly noticed that it is a sequel to my last story. I hope that doesn't come as a surprise. I thought I had made that abundantly clear.

You know, it's sort of funny. I decide to do a story with only one plotline, and I end up producing a chapter just as large as the chapters in my last story, which had three plotlines. It makes me wonder though, If I had more plotlines would my story be longer or the same size? The world will never know I guess. Except of course for the parallel universe where an exact copy of me made a story with two or more plotlines. Of course, that version of me wouldn't know what would happen if he had only done a story with one plotline… So If I was to find out, one of my copy's would have to be an inter-dimensional traveler.

You know what? Forget the whole thing.

Getting back to the story though, you may or may not have noticed a change in subject matter, And more specifically its trend toward a more "Mature theme". I will tell you ahead of time. It is not going to go much farther beyond this point. I am not sure if this is a popular move though. I am not sure weather I should keep the story cleaner or not. It is a quandary, I can tell you.

I promise though, things are going to happen. Some of these things will be of varying importance. Some will be of little importance, and some will be of large importance. Love will be found, love will be lost, and everyone will be richer for the experience. Except the ones who are dead. And I am going to have so much fun with the dream sequences!

Note: nearly all of what I have said may, or may not be, a lie.

I'd like to say thanks though to everyone who posted on my last Fanfiction. I really can't stress that enough. Oh! And a special thanks to Mettela, without those recent reviews, I probably never would have got around to even typing this thing without her. Thanks everyone, the next chapter should be up soon (give it a week or two, it should be up by then)

Wait, I almost forgot, review me! If you don't, who's going to stop Saren from bringing back the reapers and destroying galactic civilization as we know it? Not me I'll tell you, so review me! Or Else! (Seriously, you don't want the Reapers to come back. Trust me)

PS. I think I might need to up the Rating on this story. Mostly for the psychological themes I want to present. Also, I tend to swear like a Sailor, and even though I'm trying to stay away from that, I'm not entirely in control of the characters (Some of them can be pretty wild)


	2. Experience

Do Robot Girls Dream of Nerdy Boys?

A "My Life as a Teenage Robot" Fanfic

Chapter two:

**Experience**

"_He had noticed that events were cowards: they didn't occur singly, but instead they would run in packs and leap out at him all at once."__  
_

_ -_**_Neil Gaiman_**_  
_

Commander Jonathan Emerson was having a bad day

The days he spent on the Space Station _Atlantic _had never been the most enjoyable for Commander Emerson. This wasn't to say that he resented his position as second in command, but rather that he had particularly enjoyed his last assignment on the UEN Starship _Musashi. _And to be frank, the space station was not exactly living up to his expectations

Daily life had been far much more orderly on the _Mushashi _than the _Atlantic. _For one thing, everyone on the _Musashi _had been UEN navy, and while Emerson appreciated the civilian presence on the station he never thought of it as conducive to order (The Space Station _Atlantic _served primarily as a mobile weapons platform for Earth Defense but was also a notable government research facility, causing the need for quarters and facilities to maintain a large amount of civilian researchers. They never really seemed to have any sense of urgency in their dealings, and Emerson hated that) At least, he had consoled himself, he wasn't in Skyway patrol.

Emerson liked to be in control, though perhaps he enjoyed it just a little too much. As a young child he had very nearly came close to being diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder due to this need for control. In reality It had turned out to be a rather mild case of Aspergers syndrome. A disability in some peoples eyes; it had probably been the leading cause for Emerson's tremendous successes in officer school. Emerson had made his greatest weakness his strength, and that was the sign of a great solider.

Life for the Commander on the _Atlantic _was a static existence, which suited him just fine. Every day Emerson would wake at 0400 hours. He would spend five minutes to dress, one minute to make his bed, two minutes to brush his teeth, three minutes to floss, and exactly thirty seconds to collect himself before he headed for the mess hall. Emerson would then travel to the mess hall, taking the same route every day without error. He would take two right angles, navigate three sloping curves, pass one security checkpoint, and ride one elevator, always arriving at 0429 hours when the mess hall ovens finished cooking the days first meal. Emerson would take ten minutes to eat, and then head for the bridge in the most efficient manner possible (One elevator, one right turn, two left turns, a staircase, and another security checkpoint) which would take him a scant eight minutes. From there he would monitor the stations status until 0530, when Captain Presley would arrive and give him the day's assignment. After that, Emerson would spend one hour of recreation time, and then thirty minutes preparing for bed.

It was a good life.

What was eating Emerson about this day was his apparent lack of control concerning several upsetting daily events. This very morning his cabin door had become stuck, forcing him to fix it with a pen and a pit of dental floss. The repair had taken 45 seconds, fifteen of which had been spent in disbelief of the faulty equipment. Later, Emerson had arrived at the first of his two daily checkpoints to discover a new marine manning the post. His inexperienced fumbling while checking Emerson's clearance had cost the commander four minutes. For a few fractions of a second, Emerson had considered verbally chastising the marine, but he decided against it. He had lost too much time already.

Emerson arrived at the mess hall at 0433 hours, only to discover the ovens were due for replacement and inoperable. Emerson had to settle with a cold and damp salad rather than his typical bacon and eggs (Being second in command of a Space Station did have its perks) He arrived on the bridge 0451, a total of four minutes and forty five seconds behind his daily routine. The On duty officers and ensigns did not even notice Emerson's tardiness. This was perhaps due to the fact that Emerson's shift did not start until 0530 hours.

This was of course unacceptable, Emerson decided. Obviously his routine was not properly calibrated, or otherwise he could have been on the bridge four minutes and forty five seconds earlier, even accounting for the unnecessary delays (and that unappetizing salad. Why they sold them he would never know). Perhaps he needed to prepare contingency plans, or other courses of action to be enacted in situations similar to this. His lax participation in his own schedule galled him to no end.

After all, if he had been on time perhaps he could have caught the reactor before it went critical.

* * *

Contrary to the poor state of affairs that had befallen Commander Emerson, Jennifer Wakeman was having a splendid morning.

The time was 9:00 AM, and it was a beautiful morning. The sky was a shining, vibrant blue, the birds were singing, the monitors were blessedly silent, and she was about to go hang out at Mezmers. It was a good day.

Jenny stood up in her carpeted room, stopping just in front of the door. Before she went out, it seemed to be of key importance to admire herself in the mirror. A girl has to look her best, doesn't she? Or maybe it was a robot has to look her (its?) best. Logically It was a toss up between the two, but Jenny preferred to think of herself as a girl. It seemed right somehow.

Jenny had to admit though, robot or girl, she looked _fine. _This level of, shall we say, _fineness _might be exaggerated. It is a well known fact that around 45 percent of all teenage girls believe they are "Damn good looking" and are quite a "catch" (This they have in common with teenage males, however the boys who believe this are in the 97th percentile and neglect the "catch" part), the other 55 percent thought that they were "Too fat" (Despite their current weight, sadly, and no matter how thin they were). And since Jenny had been designed with a textbook athletic physic, she wasn't too big of a proponent of the latter.

Admiringly, she ran her hands over her hips, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in her skirt. Then, carelessly, Jenny tugged at her skirt a bit. It was a pretty weird sort of clothing, she thought, being several segmented pieces of treated titanium. And short, Jenny noted absently, real short.

That was an odd part of her design. Really, what kind of mother gave their teenage daughter a miniskirt and a Tank-top anyway? Weren't those the kinds of clothing that mother's always told their children to stay away from? Apparently, Jenny conceded, mothers with an eye for efficiency gave their daughters miniskirts and tank-tops. The Miniskirt/tank-top combo _did _give her an unparalleled range of motion, even though it could put her close to dangerously exposing herself in a social situation.

It was particularly vexing, Jenny contemplated, that she wore a miniskirt, an article of clothing chiefly designed as a lure for boys, and could never even get them to look at her like anything other than a robot. Except for Sheldon of course, but he didn't count (Nothing Sheldon ever did _really _counted)

She was considering doing away with the whole thing (the Robot part, not the miniskirt. She only had one pair of clothing) But that was a project for another day. Today she was going to have some fun.

A knock came from downstairs causing Jenny's pigtails to move into a surprised position. Taking one last look at herself in the mirror, she dashed downstairs. In a few seconds Jenny was at the door, which she quickly opened. She was greeted by Brad and Sheldon standing on her doorstep in the bright sunlight.

Brad smiled and Sheldon gave a shy wave. "Ready to go to Mezmers?" Brad said, the tone of his voice was questioningly amused.

Jenny gave a happy smirk "I was built ready" She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. Exuberant, she skipped a few yards past the two boys, spun on her heel, and giggled. She gave a wide smile "Let's get going" she joyfully exclaimed.

"After you" Brad said, giving a half bow. Jenny didn't laugh

This was probably because her belly button began to flash an urgent and neon blue.Jenny, along with her two male companions, stared at the flashing light in her midsection. Their expressions were mixed. Jenny had an annoyed, incredulous, and resigned look on her face, as if to say "Why me?" Brads expression reflected excitement, his mouth open in a bit of a smile, with just a hint of envy. Sheldon looked like a deer caught in a car's headlights. Not only was there a flashing light (it was very pretty by the way) but he had an excuse to look at Jenny's belly.

"Dammit" Jenny grumbled "What is it this time?" Chewing on her lower lip in frustration, She raised her armored forearm palm face up. From it unfolded a thin and transparent light blue screen in a chorus of mechanical whirrs. In a sputtering cascade of light, words and diagrams of a massive space station scrolled across the screen. In the upper right corner there was an unpleasant and flashing radioactive symbol, staring at her like an angry yellow eye.

"Cool" Brad testified, looking at the technical readout. He sounded genuinely impressed. Sheldon said nothing; he was still having trouble looking away from Jenny's flashing navel. Questioningly, Brad looked up from the screen "What's with the nuclear symbol?" he inquired.

Jenny looked over at Brad and made an annoyed face. She made an exasperated noise and retracted the screen back into her arm. "The reactor on some space station is going to explode" Crossly, She folded her arms "Just my luck"

"Aren't there only two of those?" Brad mused "And that's a bad thing, right? The explosion?" he said, curious.

Sheldon nudged him in the arm with his elbow "Well, only if you think giving a near lethal does radiation poisoning to half of the planet is a bad thing" he said, having finally torn his gaze away from Jenny's flashing midsection.

Brad looked thoughtful "Yeah… that does sound pretty bad" He shrugged "You should probably take care of that Jenny"

Jenny's brow knit together in irritation "I'm going to" she replied. With a mental command, Her pigtails rotated toward the sky. They locked into place, and with a whine of nise, rockets unfolded from them "You guys head on down to Mezmers, I'll be back in about a half an hour"

"Well," Sheldon said, one of his feet grinding something into the sidewalk nervously "Good luck"

Jenny flipped the two a cocky smile "Luck? Someone this good doesn't need _luck"_ And with that, she blasted off into the stratosphere.

When the air finally quieted and the smoke cleared, Brad and Sheldon were left standing their. They waited for a bit, watching Jenny recede into the sky. Brad sighed and turned to Sheldon "This seems to always to happen, doesn't it?"

Sheldon gave it some thought "Yep" he said plainly

* * *

The Space Station _Atlantic _was powered by an extremely impressive fusion reactor, nestled at the heart of the station. All of the stations activities revolved around, and was powered by, what was essentially a miniature sun.

In many ways the reactor actually was a real star. It provided the artificial gravity that held the station together, it provided the energy that was needed to maintain a viable ecosystem, and it was a mass of incandescent gas. And, just like a real star, it was prone to fluctuations and solar flares. Of course the fluctuations inside the reactor were much, _much _more dangerous, if only by the virtue that the reactor was only about seven miles away.

But who was worrying, right?

Oh, yes, I guess Commander Emerson was worrying. If this continued, Emerson was afraid he might not be able to keep the rest of his schedule.

Emerson knew what had happened. He ran worst case scenarios in his head right before he went to bed (He found it soothing to know that none of them would happen as long as he maintained order) he also had a direct video feed of the reactor room. More accurately though, he had a video feed of what was left of the reactor room. As it turned out, the temperature of a fluctuating fusion reactor is hot enough to vaporize a mostly stainless steel control room. The only thing that was preventing the massive ball of plasma from expanding and engulfing the entire station were a few beleaguered gravitics generators. And even those were about to fail.

In any case, the wild instabilities in the reactor were the cause of one negligent engineer. An engineer who somehow managed to cause a runaway reaction in the reactor, something that was considered by all scientists to _physically impossible_. Perhaps after this was over, Emerson thought he might try and figure out exactly how that happened. It was a scientific achievement all on its own.

Things were bad. Commander Emerson understood this. It was _acknowledged. _What annoyed him was that people were having such a hard time calming down. It was only imminent death; they'd been trained for this. So why did they all insist on panicking? It was _insufferable._

The captain would know how to deal with these irrational reactions. A shame he had caught fire on the way to the bridge. Unfortunate for him, and it certainly made Emerson's job more difficult. Emerson found it extremely inconsiderate for the captain to die. It was just plain unprofessional really.

Ah well, what can you do?

What you can do is order an immediate evacuation, which Emerson had done. It had been easy enough, nearly half of the Civilian crew was already gone (Without even clearance, Emerson noted). You can also enact the basic containment procedures. These were having little impact on actual containment unfortunately; they were only slowing the reactor from going critical. This wouldn't be too bad if it had just been a fiery explosion of death; after all, the _Atlantic _was far enough away from the earth for the atmosphere not to catch fire. It wasn't far enough away to prevent a lethal dose of radiation from engulfing the Pacific Ocean though. Emerson didn't know the exact particulars of what would happen, but he guessed that it would be bad.

There was a part in the safety manual for this sort on situation (Chapter 12. Section a5. Paragraph 2, labeled **Catastrophe and You**) In the event of a catastrophic meltdown there was a release protocol that could be activated. Once activated the malfunctioning reactor would be jettisoned into space, hopefully far away from the earth (After that, it was officially diagnosed as "someone else's problem") A blunt but effective solution. A little less effective, Commander Emerson noted, when the automatic release was not functioning. The only other way to jettison the reactor manually, meaning someone was going to have to go down there. And the only person Emerson trusted to remove the reactor was himself. Idly, he wondered who the genius was that placed the radiation suits close enough to the reactor so they were of no use to anyone in an emergency like this.

It seemed like as good a day as any to die.

* * *

Jenny loved her nerves, she really did.

Her nerves, however, did not like hitting the atmosphere at somewhere around Mach 10. If pressed, Jenny might say that she did not like hitting the atmosphere that fast either. But only because her nerves thought so, they had a lot of political pull with her.

You know, with the agonizing pain they dealt out when they hit the upper layers of the atmosphere at Mach 10 and all.

Jenny wasn't used to her nerves yet, she wasn't used to them at all. Jenny knew how to use her nerves though. She knew how to feel with them, how to use them for even more delicate motor control, and how to use the slight changes in the air pressure to predict when someone was going to move (That one took some practice) However, she hadn't got used to turning them _off. _

In retrospect, this was something she should get used to very quickly.

Her parents were not stupid, not by a long shot, and had expected that as a crime fighting global defense robot Jenny might run into situations that would cripple a normal person with pain. So to circumvent this they had added the ability for Jenny to control the sensitivity of her nerve endings, including the ability to simply shut them off (McKinley had whimsically given the levels of tactile awareness the names of diseases. The lowest setting was "Leprosy") Jenny could do this with a thought, but she was having trouble remembering she could before it was too late. Though, this mishap might just have shocked it into her memory for good.

In any case she needed to keep moving. People were in danger and the earth needed to be saved, and here she was floating aimlessly in the vacuum of space. And the quicker she got this done, the sooner she could go to Mezmers. She would get this done, Jenny resolved. No amount of blinding pain could stop her.

Unless of course it actually did blind her. That could really put a damper on things.

* * *

As Commander Emerson prepared for his last act alive, he idly wondered what was going to happen to his body.

He probably should have been more nervous, but he had crammed himself with combat stimulants a few minutes ago. They had left him with a warm feeling, like everything was right with the world. They also had left him with a preternatural awareness of the area around him and, unfortunately, in a few hours he would have a splitting headache combined with an overwhelming weariness. He really didn't expect it to get that far though.

Maybe he'd be posthumously rewarded with a medal. He liked that Idea. Not as much as he liked the idea of surviving and getting the medal in person, but enough to go ahead with his course of action. He'd just put this little act of duty down as his assignment for the day (A little early he knew, but his schedule had already been shot to hell anyway) the remaining crew onboard would understand.

Grim faced, Commander Emerson prepared to undergo his suicidal mission. The remaining crew watched him suit up into a nearby pressure suit stoically. Emerson liked that. Everyone was being so orderly now. Perhaps he should do terribly dangerous things more often; it seemed to get him what he wanted.

Radiation must have already leaked to the bridge, The Commander thought; he was already having auditory hallucinations. It sounded like something was banging on the side of the station, and doing it _hard. _Emerson shook his head. He didn't remember phantom noises being a symptom of radiation poisoning. _You learn something new each day_ Emerson thought. Strangely enough the rest of the crew looked like they heard it too. Well, it couldn't have been an asteroid, he thought, the shields would have deflected it. Come to think of it, He should disable the shields and divert the power to the containment of the reactor; it might buy him a few more minutes.

Over the Alarm Klaxons, a nervous voice came over the ship wide PA system. Emerson made a face. That was weird; the only people left on board who _weren't _on the bridge were down in the ship bay. The voice that came through the intercom was definitely one of the soldiers though. It sounded unsure "Ummm… Commander?"

Emerson was perturbed, there must have been a better was for that marine to address him "What is it marine?" He said brusquely, not given to wasting much time before the reactor exploded in a blazing ball of radiation and plasma. He hoped this was something important, every second he spent talking was another second he could have spent dislodging the reactor.

The Marine continued. "Well, um, sir. We have a bit of a weird situation here."

Another voice came thought the Intercom, just a tiny bit more rugged than the last "Weird? It's downright freaky man"

"Yeah" the first voice said "Freaky. Commander, we have a white and blue girl floating around by the airlock"

Emerson sighed "People do turn blue when they freeze I suppose. Why is this important?"

"Well, sir…" The voice paused for a few second, obviously nervous. Emerson was beginning to loose his patience right when the Marine continued speaking "She's made of metal. And it… It looks like she wants in" Emerson paused for a few seconds, thinking.

_Well,_ he thought _that's certainly _is_ new._

* * *

It's hard to communicate in a vacuum, Jenny noticed.

She had been banging on the airlock of the _Atlantic _(A strange name, she thought, for a space station that orbited the Pacific Ocean) for a while now and screaming at the two dumbstruck marines inside, or mouthing words at them, as the case may be. There really wasn't any air to transmit the sound between them. And even if there was air, there was still another several feet of steel between them. It seemed to be a futile attempt to communicate in such inhospitable conditions.

_This is bad, _Jenny thought. Her internal Geiger counter was chirping alarmingly frequently, the little blips of radioactive detection spiking. And From her readings, the entire Space station was bathed in lethal doses of radiation. If she couldn't get inside within the next twelve minutes, everyone inside wouldn't need to be rescued anymore. They would need to be carried out in body bag.

And that was assuming the reactor didn't explode before then.

She pounded on the airlock again, and while she could not hear her fist clang against the metal, she could see the indentation her fist left (If her nerves were on, she also would have been able to feel the vibrations travel up her arm).The Marines inside the Station had made no move to open the airlock, and were just chatting nervously on some sort of intercom. She was forced to cling to the hull of the Station like some sort of teenage spider

To make matters worse, she couldn't risk breaching the station. The decompression caused by even the tiniest pinprick might kill everyone inside the Station, and that was saying nothing about what would happen if she tore a hole large enough to allow her entry. Jenny grunted silently, this was going to be a tricky matter to say the least.

With an abrupt warning, Jenny's internal motion detector alerted her to a harsh blast of pressurized gas coming from the airlock. She gave a quick smirk; it looked like the marines were letting her in after all. Sure enough the steel doors of the airlock slowly opened, revealing a room lit by red light. A digital display on the wall scrolled an endless list of warnings in garish yellow font.

Without wasting a second Jenny propelled herself into the airlock. Then, she rotated 360 degrees around and grasped the slowly opening doors in her white hands. With a grunt of exertion, she halted their outward movement, and slammed them shut. There was a noticeable vibration as the doors magnetically resealed. Satisfied with her work, Jenny turned her head to face the Marines on the other side of the airlock. Crossly, she motioned for them to hurry up. The marines just stared back blankly.

Suddenly, The marines began to make urgent motions out of her sight, and a few seconds later Jenny heard the comforting sound of repressurization. Jenny fidgeted, uncomfortable that this was taking so long. Time was of the essence, and every second could potentially be their last. If she didn't get this done soon, a lot of people would die _and _she wouldn't get to Mezmers on time.

A few more tense moments passed and Jenny tapped her foot irritably. Then, without warning, the airlock doors opened with a whine of gears. Before it was even fully open, Jenny wiggled her way thorough. An exasperated "Finally!" escaped her lips as she pushed her way into the stark white Airlock antechamber.

An emergency terminal protruded from one of the walls and was painted an urgent color of red. Standing beside it were the two marines from before, they wore coal grey body armor and clutched their rifles nervously in jittery hands. Half visored helmets hung snugly on each of their heads. One of them, a much taller and robust looking one, moved toward Jenny. "Um… Uh, State your name and business on-"

Jenny shoved him aside as she made a beeline for the emergency terminal "Yeah, whatever spaceman. Just get out of my way" She wouldn't normally be so gruff, but she was stretched for time and she was frustrated. She pressed passed the marine, who was too flustered to speak.

The Other marine was not as easily cowed, and positioned himself between Jenny and her intended destination. His mouth drawn into a line, He brandished his rifle menacingly and let the end of it gingerly hover over Jenny's midsection "I'm afraid we must insist ma'am." The marine said, as polite as he could manage "But our commanding officer needs to speak to you. Quickly."

Jenny frowned "Not enough time for that. Excuse me." She made to move past the marine. Quick as lightning, he jumped backward a few paces, bent his knees, and stuck the rifle point directly into Jenny's face. Jenny looked cross-eyed at the barrel of the rifle bemused.

The Marine cocked the rifle with a palpable menace "I don't think you're taking this seriously, I am authorized to shoot you girl. You're coming with us." Nervously, he fingered the rifles trigger.

Jenny made a face and put her hands on her hips. "And I think you're underestimating me. Whatever, I don't have time for this" She said, in a deadpan sort of way. Then, without batting an eye, she calmly reached up and bent the barrel of the rifle in half in a symphony of screaming metal. She Smiled at the dumbstruck marine "What was that again?"

The soldier's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates and began to mumble to himself. Rolling her eyes, Jenny effortlessly moved past him. She was confident she had intimidated both of the marines sufficiently, or at least had distracted them long enough for her to get rid of the reactor. She positioned herself in front of the bright red security console and looked at the ever repeating scroll of warnings on the screen. Disinterested, Jenny reached behind one of her pigtails, and drew forth a long, silver-blue wire. With a quick and fluid motion she slapped it into a nearby access port.

She had been getting a lot better with the S.E.E.R since she last had to use it. She had gotten faster at hacking, and a lot more efficient. And if she got a hard line to a consol she could perform complicated tasks in seconds. However, it did put a lot of strain on her processor, and it ate up a lot of RAM. She braced herself as she dove into the computer mind of the _Atlantic._

The journey was quick, uneventful, stressful, and done in four seconds. Her right eye twitched as a rush of knowledge assailed her. She pushed aside the failing security procedures on the _Atlantic_ and did a complete scan of the station. It was a particularly odd sensation, learning that much in such a little time.

She gasped as she unplugged herself from the terminal and shook her head violently. "I am _never _going to get used to that" she spat and steadied herself on a nearby ledge. Blinking furiously, she stood up to her full height and moved toward a nearby door, one that would take her into the heart of the station.

"Where- Where do you think you're going?" One of the Marines managed to say.

Jenny spared a glance over her shoulder. She laughed derisively as she went through the portal "Guess!" she called out behind her as she left.

* * *

Jenny Wakeman _hated _getting decontaminated.

Jenny sat in the middle of a specially made containment room deep below the Wakeman house hold, designed with the Teenage robot in mind. There were magazines, a bed, and a TV inside to keep her occupied, and besides for the piercing white interior, it was a rather pleasant place to be. Of course that was like saying that besides the fact that she was currently contaminated with a sizable amount of nuclear radiation she was perfectly safe to hang around. She actually was safe to hang around though, providing you had a hazmat suit.

Everything had been going so very well back on the space station. Jenny should have known that wasn't going to last though. It was almost as if the universe was out to get her (Science has proven that this is not the case. The Universe in not out to get anyone, and has no interest in how we conduct our daily lives. However it has been proven that all teenagers will blame all of their problems on the universe. The universe has failed to comment about this) How was she supposed to know that prolonged exposure to the reactor would irradiate her? And how exactly was she supposed to know that the damn thing would explode just as she got it out of the earths orbit? I mean come on, just when she got it out of orbit _and _when she was still hanging on to it? That was an irony she wasn't prepared to acknowledge as coincidental just yet.

So apparently she was contaminated with a near lethal dose a radiation, courtesy of Malfunctioning UEN equipment (not particularly lethal to herself, but rather the fragile humans around her). And those idiots from the government had the gall to threaten her and her mother with an environmental protection lawsuit. It wasn't like Jenny had chosen to crash in a national forest; it was all of it was the reactors fault. And the forests fault, doing all of its _growing _and all.

And the lecture her mother had given her! Jenny could still hear it ringing in her head.

_Ex-Jay-Niyun, I have never seen such disrespect for international regulations in any robot on earth, let alone my own daughter! You assaulted a UEN marine, hacked a Navy base, destroyed a piece of machinery worth billions of dollars, and to top it off, crash landed in a National forest. And as a level five radiation threat no less! I don't even know why I let you go out of the house at all. All you seem to do is try and take shortcuts in your work. This is what I get for letting you listen to your father I suppose. Did it even occur to you that the Captain would have had a plan besides 'I'm going to throw the dangerous object into space?' Honestly, did you even run the probability equations. Oh, that's right, you had a feeling it was going to work. Well listen up, feelings won't help you save the day. Maybe those new nerves are interfering with your neural processes. If I took them away, might that help, hmm? And you should be glad that the UEN is thankful you at least saved the majority of the station, or else they might have given us a lawsuit that would put us back into the dark ages. And another thing…_

Jenny slumped back onto her temporary bed, allowing her hands to cover her face. Today had been a disaster. She missed her day out with Sheldon and Brad, she barely got to try out her nerves at all, she nearly exterminated half the planet by accident, she dinged herself up in an uncontrolled reentry, and to top it off got yelled at. The only good thing about this day was that it was over. What she needed now was a deep hole for her to crawl inside and die.

But if she did that, Jenny reasoned, she would never actually get to give her damn nerves a test drive. And she wanted to do that so very badly.

Her Mom had at least allowed her to give Brad and Sheldon a call. They weren't happy, but they took it OK. Apparently they were planning on going to the movies and had already bought her a ticket. She felt really bad about that, and had offered to sneak out of the house and go with them anyway. Brad had then reminded her that she was still a radioactive hazard. That had put a damper on any ideas of escape. Sheldon had been pretty broken up about the whole thing, but then again, Sheldon was always like that.

She grabbed a pillow and threw it high into the air. As it came back to earth Jenny idly snatched it and tossed it into the air again. She needed to do something with the time, and she just didn't feel like watching T.V., or reading for that matter. She blew out a bit of artificial breath with a belabored sigh. As the pillow came down to earth again, Jenny caught in her iron clad grasp. Instead of throwing it into the sky again, she held onto it and pressed it against her chest. She lay there for a few long seconds.

It was nine o'clock now, and she had nothing to do. Worse yet, it would be another seven hours until she was completely decontaminated. She rolled over onto her stomach, her lower lip pouting ever so slightly. She yawned.

It was a weird thing, Jenny yawning. In all honesty she never needed to. She didn't breath, so she couldn't run low on oxygen and she wasn't susceptible to the whole "you yawned so now I have to yawn" thing. It was just a weird habit she picked up from humans, whenever her internal batteries were low, she would yawn.

Jenny made a face. It was pretty early for bed, but when she checked her internal energy reserves, she noted that they were nearly depleted. She looked annoyed, obviously the whole reactor thing took more out of her than she had expected. She yawned again, stretching her arms wide. Maybe she did need a bit of Shuteye. After all, she would be completely decontaminated after an eight hour sleep cycle, what was there to lose?

Tomorrow would certainly be a better day.

* * *

Jenny slept soundly in the darkened decontamination chamber, her head resting gently on a nearby pillow. Her hands lay in half curled positions by her face. They twitched slightly as she slept.

A blanket was draped over her, the wrinkles and folds gently outlining her lithe body. She didn't need to sleep in her armor anymore, and with her nerves activated, it was uncomfortable to do so. A simple nighty was sufficient for a comfortable nights sleep, and she had been assured it looked rather quite fetching on her. Jenny was oblivious to this at the moment though, her chest gently rising in sleep. She didn't breathe, but it was rather a side effect of her recharging systems which were siphoning off power from her own internal generator.

She lay motionless for a few seconds, and then rolled over in her sleep. The gentle motion set into place a cascade of processes inside her head. A few electrical signals began to fire, sending a complex system of zeros and ones through a matrix of synapses. The signals quickly reached her dreamchip, and a series of programs began to run. Slowly, her eyes began to flutter as she entered REM sleep.

And somewhere in the room, something laughed.

* * *

Well, it's two weeks late, but I did it. I finally uploaded another chapter.

Sorry for the delay, but work is just kicking my ass. To top it off though, this was not a particularly easy chapter to write either. Did you know I went through three full and completely unrelated drafts, and six different intros? It was madness, difficult to write madness.

And do you know what? I still don't like this chapter. It feels awkward.

I did have some fun with this chapter though. And the final editing was surprisingly easy. I suppose that was a karmic backlash from the whole three drafts thing. Or it could have been a coincidence. I'd also like to thank my partner Wikipedia for her invaluable help.

Things to say though: The last chapter holds the review record now, good for it. On my last story, the largest amount of reviews was three. The last chapter accumulated four (score!)

Before I go though…

Review me! I've been extra nice. And if you don't review me, they're going to take me off to Nova Prospekt for trans humanization surgery. I don't want to be combine, I don't want to be Combine at all. So review me. Please?


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